Can I Lose Weight And Still Drink Beer?

Many people have asked me, can I lose weight and still drink beer?

The simple answer is Yes, but there are some rules you need to follow.

As a fitness trainer I live by the code of work hard play hard. I see so many people trying to get fit and healthy, but then cutting out all of the things that make life worth living!

Beer is one of my favorite things to have after a long day. So much so, it has become more of an experience than just a tasty beverage. Not to mention that I live in the Napa valley of beer, which makes beer great…and that much harder to cut out of life altogether.

As we get older, staying in shape gets a bit more challenging and harder to keep our old diet habits. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

The truth is, you can lose weight and still drink beer!!

Why Is Beer So Awesome?

Personally, I never really thought I would like beer. The first time I had one it tasted like a metal can carbonated with water and an old shoe. What was that taste? Well, the truth to that was that I was taking a sip of my grandpa’s favorite beer…Hamm’s! It wasn’t beer that was bad, it was Hamm’s! Have you had one? It makes Coors Light taste like fine wine.

How Can I Still Drink Beer And Lose Weight?

As I have grown older, I have acquired a taste for great beer. And now with all of the micro brew’s pumping out fantastic beer, it makes you wonder how you can find a balance to stay fit and drink beer.

For me, beer is my; you worked hard today and deserve to relax, go and grab a cold one! It is also something that brings friends together to meet catch up and enjoy some suds.

It is more than just drinking a beer, it there is often a whole occasion behind it.

Treat Beer Like A Dessert

When you go out and have a great meal with some friend and family do you get dessert? If you do, do you eat the whole cake? Probably not, but you might enjoy a taste or slice of that key lime pie.

Do the same with your IPA’s, Beer of the Month, or Milk Stout on Nitro. These beer’s are awesome, but they also have some things in there that go against you healthy workout routine:

Highly Concentrated Empty Calories

Sugar

If you have a few of them, you may get enough calories to feed a small village!
The key is moderation!

Try this, have your tasty beer in the beginning then switch to a calorie conscious light beer. Still refreshing, but doesn’t pack all of the baggage of a Apricot Peach Blonde Ale.

How To Lose Weight And Still Drink Beer

It is not a matter of can I lose weight and still drink beer, it is more of a question of how? First of all lets look at your lifestyle:

Are you exercising?

Are you conscious of what you eat?

If you are not then the first thing to do is get on an exercise and strength program. Keep in mind, running for days on a treadmill won’t burn off as much of that beer as a good strength training program.

The real idea behind all of this is to exercise the way you want to live your life. If you want to stay in shape and still drink beer, then understand what comes with the beer (calories and sugar) and adjust your diet accordingly.

Understanding Your Diet
If beer has a high calorie count and is rich in carbs, then take out other carbs in your diet. Essentially there are two ways to get energy from your diet:

Carbs

Fats

If you take in too many carbs, then they will turn into sugar if your body doesn’t use it, which turns into fat. To balance this out on the beer diet, cut down on your breads and pasta to make room for your beer carbs.

The easiest way to do this is to go on a modified Paleo Diet 80% of the week or during your work week.

For energy, take in healthy fats like avocados, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils like coconut oil

By concentrating on taking in your protein, you will be fueling your workouts. The healthy fat will fuel your energy, and the beer will fuel your mind and taste buds.

And by cutting all the unnecessary carbs from your diet, you will have more energy and start to lose those pesky pounds.

Simple Ways On How Can I Lose Weight And Still Drink Beer

For the longest time I was looking for the way where I could keep my love for beer and not be walking around with a beer belly! I will tell you that this is possible…

Enjoy Craft Beers In Moderation

To summarize, keep these simple steps in your six pack:

1 Drink good beer like eating a great dessert! If you like IPA’s, have one to look forward on the weekend or a couple of times a week. If you have too many, its like eating a whole cake for dessert every night of the week.

2 Let your weeknight beer be on the lighter side.

3 Start an exercise program and use the modified Paleo Diet by adding healthy fats for your energy! Do this during your work week, but relax a bit when you are out with friends on the weekend. The 80/20 will keep the beer diet sustainable and will help you maintain or lose weight.

Moderation is the key! Don’t come home and have a 12er every night. Get you workout in first and have a beer when you are ready to relax.

I hope these tips answered your question: Can I lose weight and still drink beer? Please leave your questions or comments below.